Pork Adobo

The stew is slightly tart, but you can adjust exactly how tart by using more or less vinegar. I generally use more than soy, but my children like lots of "juice" so I add more soy to taste. Also, I tend to use jarred, minced garlic in place of fresh to save some time. The original recipe does not include onions or noodles and calls for boiling/simmering all the main ingredients until done and then straining the meat out so that you can brown it and thicken the sauce. Lungkow Vermicelli is bean thread noodles. I buy them at my local Asian store. 1 bundle is generally 1.3 ounces, but they come in packages of I think 8 bundles. They don't really have a taste on their own, but they soak up the flavor of the stew, and my kids love slurping them up.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 -3  lbs boneless pork, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 6 -10  garlic cloves, crushed
• 1  tablespoon black pepper
• 4  tablespoons soy sauce
• 1⁄2 cup white vinegar
• 3  cups water
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 1 -2  tablespoon  cooking oil (to brown meat)
• 2  tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with equal amount cold water (optional)
• 1 1⁄3 ounces bean thread vermicelli (optional)
• 2 -4  cups cooked rice

Directions

1. Brown pork in the oil.
2. Place all the ingredients except cornstarch, vermicelli and rice into a pot and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat is tender.
4. Now you have several options: a)To thicken the sauce with cornstarch just stir the mixture in and return to a boil for a minute, keep stirring to avoid clumps. b) If you're using the vermicelli, stir the noodles into the stew and cook for about 3 more minutes. The noodles are done when they're clear and soft. (You may need to add a little more water.).